Rescue crews and fire investigators have found human remains amongst the rubble of a Toronto home that exploded on Sunday after more than a day of searching.
Fire officials speaking at the scene on Tuesday said the remains were discovered after a painstaking and exhaustive search, with a larger investigation still in its early stages.
“Today, unfortunately, in the course of that investigative work they have located human remains in the debris and (it’s) sad to know that,” Toronto fire Chief Matthew Pegg said.
He was at the scene of a home explosion on Kitchener Road in Scarborough, near Kingston Road and Lawrence Avenue East.
On Monday, officials said they feared someone was inside the home when it exploded on Sunday afternoon.
The person living at the house remains unaccounted for but the body discovered by fire investigators is yet to be identified, Chief Pegg said.
“It is a very methodical process,” he said, explaining the detailed steps investigators took during the search, which involved both heavy machinery and cadaver dogs.
Jon Pegg, Ontario’s fire marshal, said the investigation was ongoing and that it was “too early” to rule out any cause for the explosion.
“It will be a very long and detailed investigation,” he said.
“It will involve forensic testing and modelling, so that is going to take some time.”